


After

by Nepenthene



Category: Supernatural
Genre: But this is just straight pain, Canon Compliant, Coda, Feelings Realization, Grief/Mourning, I wrote this at midnight yesterday, M/M, Oneshot, Post-Episode: s15e18 Despair, Shock, WE CAN SAY THAT ABOUT DESTIEL NOW, and spoilers, obviously, which you’ll probably be able to tell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27428704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nepenthene/pseuds/Nepenthene
Summary: Dean is alive, and Cas...Cas is gone.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Comments: 10
Kudos: 164





	After

Blank.

That’s what Dean is once the tears run dry. Just... blank.

Sam’s stopped calling.

He stares unseeingly at the brick wall across from him. He keeps expecting to wake up; somehow, this doesn’t... it just doesn’t seem real. Like a nightmare or something.

Everything... everything just happened so _fast..._

He doesn’t hear Sam and Jack calling his name. Doesn’t hear their footsteps pounding through the vault. All he knows is that one moment Sam’s not there, and the next moment he is. Jack hovers near the door, silent.

“Dean? Dean, where’s... where’s Cas?”

Sam’s hand lands on Dean’s shoulder, his left one, and Dean flinches violently away.

Sam doesn’t try to touch him again.

A long moment passes. Then Dean blinks, turning to look at Sam. His brother’s face is drawn, and his eyes are red.

“He made a deal with the Empty. To save Jack.”

Sam clenches a hand. Dean’s gaze drifts back to the wall, his arms propped loosely on his knees. “The Empty’d come to collect when he was truly happy. Billie was breaking through, she was gonna...”

Someone sniffles. Dean lapses into silence for a minute.

“So he... he decided to give in. Let the Empty take him, and Billie too.”

Something warm trickles down Dean’s cheek. He brings a hand up to brush it away, then stares at his damp fingertips in confusion.

“He said... he said that loved me, Sammy.” Dean’s voice is small, fragile sounding. “And then the Empty came for him.”

Sam’s head drops for a moment. When it comes back up, his voice is wet and raw. “Dean, I’m... I’m sorry. I’m so,  so  sorry.”

Dean doesn’t respond. He’s gonna wake up any second now, he knows it.

But he doesn’t.

His throat closes up. “And I... I didn’t...”

“I didn’t say anything back.”

  
And then the regret hits him like a freight train.


End file.
